Also key to the £3m renovation project was a strategy to eliminate 100 per cent of the CO2 emissions produced on site, by switching from gas-powered heating to electrically operated air-source heat pumps, introducing solar panels to meet a large portion of the site’s power needs and improving overall energy efficiency through smart LED lighting.
Christian Coolsaet, Managing Director of Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland, says: “This significant investment directly supports our long-term strategy for London, ensuring Volvo Trucks is represented by a flagship facility best equipped to provide Genuine Volvo Service for both current and next generation vehicles. At the same time, we’ve dramatically improved the site’s environmental credentials with a focus on clean energy and zero waste to landfill. Despite being one of our largest UK dealerships, it’s now also one of our most sustainable.”
Stuart Potter, Operations Director for Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East, says: “We looked at every possible area of the dealership, and how we could improve it – from re-configuring the space used by our admin, parts and sales teams to help improve workflows and reduce pressure on colleagues, to adding a new female locker room, as we recognise that the proportion of female technicians in our workshops is only going to keep growing.
“Even the smallest adjustments can make a tangible difference – such as better lighting in the workshop, which will improve safety and the quality of our work. Plus, we’ve comprehensively upgraded the shallow pit to the latest design of metal pit, with all services built-in to ensure better conditions and ergonomics for our technicians.”
Open 24 hours-a-day from 6am on Monday morning until 4pm on Saturday afternoon, the London North depot supports one of the most densely populated parts of the UK, and some of the country’s most congested roads – including much of the northern sector of the M25, and lower sections of the A1M and M11 motorways.
The dealership benefits from eight vehicle bays, offering 16 workspaces, along with a dedicated Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) lane, and is staffed by three daily shifts. It routinely stocks more than £1m of Genuine Volvo Parts and is supported by a fleet of five Volvo Action Service frontline vehicles, and four Genuine Volvo Parts delivery vans. It also offers on-site parking for up to 70 commercial vehicles.
The updated facility, situated on Mollison Avenue and just three miles from junction 25 of M25, was officially opened on 19 September 2024 by Christian Coolsaet and colleagues.